Forests on Fire

Erik Jon Olson

quilted plastic waste

48" x 71" x 1.5"

Our climate is heating up, causing our forests to be more susceptible to fire. Those fires release carbon, which causes the climate to warm even more. This vicious circle is born of and exacerbated by mass consumption. Using quilted plastic waste (a metaphor for mass consumption) as my medium, I create works that deal with the effects of consumerism and unfettered capitalism, e.g., drought and forest fires. By layering environmental issues with social justice messaging, my art emphasizes our alienation from the environment and each other, our willingness to waste, and our subsequent need for healing. By minimizing my own carbon footprint in the creation of pieces and transcending the medium without denying what it is, I create art that embodies Marshall McLuhan’s concept that “the medium is the message.”

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